Fire-extinguisher.



D. ESTES.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION msn MAR. 12` ms.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

zza/1 rm: Nunn/s neus rnv-uma. wnsnwcnuv. a cA 11D* @T Awrnivr sinon DANA nsrsscr BRQQKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.,

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

TocZZ wlwviz. t may concern Be it known that I, DANA Es'rns, a citizen of theUnited States, andresident of Brookline, in' the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful :Improvements in Fire Extinguishers, of which the following is aspecification. v i

This inventionrelates to hand lire eX-y tinguishers of the type vwhich comprises a container for liquid and manuallyA operable means for forcing the liquid from the conn tainer. n Y K It is desirable tokeep the ycontainer tightly sealed when it is not iii use, to pre- Y vent loss of liquid through evaporatioiuand one of the-objects ofthe present invention is to provide sealing means for' this' pur pose. The container isn the formy of; acyl'- inder, and a piston is arranged in the cylinder to act upon the liquid for the purpose of discharging the latter. The piston-operating means and the .sealing means hereinbe- Yfore mentioned are physically connected in such relation that the movement imparted to the piston-operating means effec-ts the unsea'ling of. the container. The user is thus relieved of performing a preliminary opera- Y tion :for unsealing. It 'may be remarked at this time'that the container is sealed andl un'- sez'iledfatboth ends. The outlet is sealed aul tomatically@uponthe completion. of each foriva rd impulse imparted to the piston.

It ifs-'desirable to prevent leakage .past they pistOn,-audfor this reason I have provided piston-'operating means which is arranged wholly 'behind thel piston, no part of such means extending through the piston. This leaves 'the piston without any e opening through it, with the'exception of a stuiiing box which eoacts witha smooth cylindric' .rod l which is provided to seal the outlet.

The said rod is of relatively small diameter, Vand the fact' thatlit is cylindrie and smooth enables the stuiiing box to niaintain'a substantially leak-proof connection between it andthe piston.

Of the accompanying drawings, whichr illustrate one 'form in which the invention niayjbe embodied Figure 1 represents a side elevation of` a fire extinguishen thev cylinder thereof being partly insection. In this ligure the piston isashort distance ahead'of its extreme rear Specicaton of Letters Patent. Patented Aug',y 6, 1918,

'Y Appiication fuea March 12, 1915. seriai No. 13,848.

position, and the seal at the rear end of the cylinder is shown as having been unsealed to permit the entrance of air behind the piston. Fig. 2 represents a View similar to Fig.

l1, showingv the piston advanced nearly to its eXtreme forward position.

- Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on a larger scale, intermediate portions of the device bkeing broken out and the cylinder shortened toV econoniize space. The forward and rear seals are both in sealing position in this fig' ure, as when the device is fully charged andA The container comprises a cylindric tube. Y* 10, a heady 11` at the forward end, and a headlQ at the rear end. A discharge nozzle 13 is screwed into the head 11 and is made vtight-by a washer 111. The nozzle has an outlet passage whose diameter is'relativelyf small at the forward end, as indicated atl,

and relatively large at the rear end, als indicated at 16. It also has Va valve seat 17 connecting the portions of different diameter. A valve 18 is arranged to coact with the seat 17 said valve being formed upoiithe forward endof a cylindric rod 19. The diainetei' ofthe rod is materially less than the diameter of the larger portion 16 of the outlet passage, to provide sunicient space through which the liquid may pass, without entirely withdrawing the rod from said passage. I K' A piston 20 is provided to discharge liquid from ythe container. erated by means which includes a shaft 2.1. This shaft extends through the rear head 12 and is provided with a handle 22. The head The piston is op*v 12 is formed witha boss 23 to provide a stuiling box for the shaft 21. The boss is formed with an annular rentrant flange 24 which surrounds the shaft and whichv is bored slightly larger than the shaft in order to admit air into the cylinder as the piston advances.` The gland of the stuffing boxV is indicated at 25, and packing material is-in` dicated at 26. The gland is movable axially, and when it is in the position shown by Fig. 3, the packing material is compressed between the gland 25 and the forward end of the rentrant flange 24. The gland has an annular extension 27 which surrounds and engages the flange 24. The shaft-receiving opening in the gland 25 is slightly larger in diameter than the shaft, to enable air to enter the cylinder as the piston advances, the packing material 26 bein relieved of compressive stress when the piston is advancing, as will be understood after further explanation.

The shaft 21 and valve rod 19 are rigidly connected with each other, such connection being effected in the present instance by screwing the rear end of the rod into the forward end of the shaft, as indicated at 28 in Fig. 3. A cylindric collar 29 is threaded upon the rod 19 and set tightly against the forward end of the shaft, being in effect a binding nut for tightening the connection between the rod and shaft. This collar has another function which is hereinafter explained. The distance from the valve 18 to the handle 22 is greater than the distance from the valve seat 17 to the rear end of the boss 23, this difference insuring` seating of the valve rather than seating the handle against the boss.

The piston comprises a disk 30 in addition to the element indicated at 20. The member 30 is made of metal, and the member 2O is preferably made of some soft material, such as leather, and impregnated or otherwise prepared with some substance which will preserve it against the chemical action of the liquid used in the device. The disk 30 is provided with a stuffing box which coacts with the rod 19. This stufling box includes an annular ange 31 which is internally threaded to receive a threaded gland 32. The packing material is indicated at 33. The flange 31 is externally threaded to receive a. nut 34, said nut being provided to secure a washer 35 against the forward side of the piston member 20.

The handle 22 is intended to be rotated for the purpose of .moving the piston longitudinally. and will now describe the connections between the shaft 21 and the piston. The shaft has a collar 3G in front of the gland 25, said collar and gland being arranged to coact with each other as shown by Fig. 1 and as hereinafter explained. he shaft has an external screw-thread 37 in front of 'the collar, said screw-thread running te the collar 29 at the forward end of the shaft. The screw portion 37 and piston member 30 are connected by a plurality of telescoping sleeves 38, 39 and 40, the forward end of the latter being fastened to a flange 41 formed upon the rear side of the piston member 30. The member 40 n; ay 'be fastened to the flange 41 in any suitable manner. The member 40 as shown has a drive fit over the flange. Sleeve 38 has at its rear end a nut portion 38 which coacts with the thread 37. Sleeve 38 has an external screwthread 42, and sleeve 39 has at its rear end a nut portion 39 which coacts with the said thread 42. In like manner sleeve 39 has an external screw-thread 43, and sleeve 40 has at its rear end a nut portion 40 which coacts with the said thread 43. The collar 29 coacts with nut portion 38 to limit the forward movement of the sleeve. The forward movement of sleeve 39 relatively to sleeve 38 is limited by an external flange 44 formed upon the forward end of sleeve 38 and arranged to coact with nut portion 39. In like manner forward movement of sleeve 40 relatively to sleeve 39 is limited by an external flange 45- formed upon the forward end of sleeve 39 and arranged to coact with nut portion 40.

ln practice, when the handle 22 is rotated to expel liquid from the cylinder, the speed of movement of the piston will be limited by the capacity of the outlet 15; and since liquid substance is not compressible, the retative movement of the handle would be limited unless some provision were made for storing energy due to excess movement of the handle. I have therefore provided a spring for storing the energy which causes such excess movement of the handle, said spring, in reacting, causing a continuing movement of the piston after rotative movement of the handle has ceased. The spring for this purpose is indicated at 50. This.

spring is helical in form and surrounds the several telescoping sleeves. The rear end of the spring is seated against the rear head 12, and the forward end of the spring is seated against a flange 51 formed upon a sleeve 52. The rear end of sleeve 52 is fastened to a flange 53 formed upon the member whichhas the gland 25 and flange 27. The spring 50 is always under compression, but its degree of compression will be increased when- `\cver the sleeve 52 is moved toward the rear of the cylinder. The rotative movement of the handle results primarily in advancing the piston through the medium of the screw sleeves; but if such rotative movement exceeds the rate at which the piston may advance, the screw sleeves react upon the screw shaft 21, movin-g the latter to the rear while the piston is moving forward. As the collar 36 bears against the gland 25, as shown by Fig. 1, (excepting when the piston is fully retracted) the reactionary movement of the screw shaft 21 results in compressing the spring 50, the liquid in front of the piston at such time acting as the abutment against which the screw members act to compress the spring. The spring, of course, reacts as soon as rotative movement of the handle action of spring l n l When using the device, the user has only to turn the handle 22 to the right (thesevhandle 22 inthe direction oppositethat required to discharge liquid. lVhen the handle 22 is thus turned in the reverse direction it draws the several screw sleeves 38, 39 and l0 to the rear, causing all said sleeves toabut against the flange 53. When all thesleeves have thus been screwed Y against Vthe said flange, further reverse rotation of shaft 21 rwillfmovethe several screw', sleeves and the mei'nbcr 25, 27, 53 ybodily to the rear.- he operation of retracting the piston preparatory to recharging the device will preferably be performed before the nozzle 13 is removed, and the retractory vmovement iin.- parted to the member 25, 27, 53 will compress the spring 50. When the nozzle 18Ais removed` it releases the rod 19 and shaft 21 so that ther handle 22 may be moved into engagement rwith boss 23 by "theexpansive action of spring 50. Incidentally this move-Y Vment relieves the compression of packing material 26, provided said packing iiiatei'ial has been compressed before the removal of the nozzle. n

The space in front of the piston cannot be completely filled with liquid, because the head. 11 has a rentrant nipple 55 through which the liquid must be poured."` Thisinsures an airspace equal in area to the space at the left of dotted line 56 in Fig, the purpose of which is hereinafter explained.

'Assuming now that the cyliiider is charged with liquid and that the nozzle 18 is screwed in to the position shown, rthe valve seat 17 will engage the valve 18 before the Vnozzle has been tightened relatively to the head 11, and the rod 19 and shaft 21 will be moved slightly to the rear by the nozzle. kVlien the nozzle has been made tight inthe head 11 the device is tightly sealed at both ends, the two seals reacting against each other through the elements'ywhich connect them., a ud the `pressure of the valve 18 against the seat 17 being augniented by the Vexpansive eral screw-threads being left) tomove the piston forward. Vhen the handle is' so turned, it causes rst a slight advance of the piston, the air infront of the piston,y hereinbefore mentioned, being compressible to permit suoli advance. Attthe same time, the member 25, 27, 53 will have moved withthe piston iii rresponse to the expansive action of spring 50, thus relieving the pressure against packing material 26. This will enable air to enter the rear end of the cylinder through the stuffing box, to relieve the vacuum tension which would otherwise op pose forward movement of thepiston. The initial advancementprior to opening the Voutlet is relatively little; andwhen the pressure in front-of the piston balances the force if spring 50, the advancing of the piston will cease unless rotationof the handle continues. Assumingtliat such rotation is continued, the screw-shaft21 will `'force itself to the rear, thus retracting valve 18 from seatk 17. Liquidwill thereupon be emitted underpressure; 'and 'as the volume which remains'in the cylinder decreases, the sleeve 52, shaft 21, rod 19, screw-sleeves and piston will move forward in unison in response to the expansive action ofthe spring. The 'valve18 is thus caused continually toseek itsseat 17 and will soon engagev the seat unless further rotation is in'iparted to the handle to conipensate for the forward travel of the piston. A split ring 57 is arranged to keep the pistoii membeiI yexpanded against the cylinder.v This keeps the piston tight and prevents rotation, thus insuring the desired screw action ofthe sleeves 38, 39 and 41:0;

The'three sleeves, 38, 39 and -1-0, will advance in unison until the nut portion 88 'of the inner sleeve is arrested by collar 29. Further advancement of the inner sleeve he-V iiig thus prevented, the sleeves 3479 and 40 will continue to advance until nut portion 39 is arrestedbypiiange 44;" Thereafter, sleeve 40 will advance relativelyv to sleeves-38jand 89. Throughout the range of movement of the several screw-sleeves the spring. -will tend tok'eepy the gland 25 against the cellar 36; and whenever rotation of the handle is discontinued for a. sufficient length of timev to permit the springt@ have its maximum expansion, the valve 18 will be forced against its seat l?. the outlet being thus automatically sealed by the spring. regardless of the position of the piston, whenever the operation of the device is discontiniied.l

The'operation of turning` the handle baci'- wardly at any time when the "valve 18 is seated will cause a simple rotative movement LA device of the characterdescribed,V

comprising a cylinder and piston arranged to coact, said cylinder having a discharge opening, and spring-actuated means arranged to propel said piston and automatically seal said discharge opening when the piston has advanced a predetermined distance.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a cylinder and piston arranged to coact, said cylinder having a discharge opening, spring-actuated means behind said piston arranged to propel the latter, and means arranged to be actuated by said propelling means to seal said discharge opening.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a cylinder and piston arranged to coact, said cylinder having a discharge opening, a valve arranged to close said di. charge opening, manually operative means arranged to coact With said piston to open said valve, and a spring arranged to be flexed by valve-opening movement of said means and arranged to react to propel said piston and close said valve.

4. A device ot the character described, comprisinga. cylinder and piston arranged to coact, said cylinder having a valve seat and a discharge opening communicating with the latter, a valve arranged to coact with said valve seat to close said opening, manually operative means arranged to coact With said piston to retract said valve from said seat, and a spring arranged to be flexed by valve-retracting movement of said means, said spring` being arranged to react upon said means to propel said piston and seat said valve.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a cylinder` and piston arranged to coact, a manual operating` member, and telescopic members having cooperative screw-threads for transmitting motion from said operating member to propel said pist0n.

G. A device of the character described, comprising a cylinder and pistou arranged to coact, a manual operating member arranged behind said piston, telescopic members having coperative screw-threads connecting said operating member and said piston, said cylinder having a valve seat at its discharge end, a smooth cylindric valve rod extending through said piston, and arranged to coact with said valve seat, and a stutling box carried by said piston and coacting with said rod, said rod being connected to said operating member to be retract-ed by the latter, and a spring arranged to coact with said cylinder and with said operating` member to propel said piston and said valve rod.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a container for liquid, said container having a discharge opening, means arranged in said container to discharge liquid through said opening, and means arranged to be moved by the discharging operation of said discharging means at various stages of discharging to seal said opening.

S. A device of the character described, comprising` a container for liquid, said coir tainer having a discharge opening, springactuated means arranged to discharge liquid through said opening, and means arranged to be moved by said spring-actuated means to seal said opening.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a container for liquid, said container having a discharge opening, spring actuated means arranged to discharge liquid through said opening, and means carried by said spring-actuated means to seal said opening.

10. A device of the character described, comprising a container for liquid, said container having` a discharge opening, a valve arranged to coact Wit-h said opening, springactuated means arranged to close said valve. and a piston carried by said spring-actuated means and arranged to discharge liquid through said opening While said valve is closing.

11. A device of the character described. comprising a container for liquid, said container having a discharge opening, a valve arranged to coact with said opening, springactuated means arranged to close said valve, a piston carried by said spring-actuated means and arranged to discharge liquid through said opening, and manually operative means arranged to cause relative adjustment of said piston and said springactuated means to prolong the discharging action.

12. A device of the character described, comprisinga cylinder and piston arranged to coact, spring-actuated means arranged to propel said piston to discharge liquid, and manually operative means arranged to cause relative adjustment of said piston and said spring-actuated means to prolong the discharging action.

13. A device of the character described, comprising a cylinder and piston arranged to coa-ct, a propelling spring, extensible means arranged to coact ivith said spring and piston to transmit the force of said spring to said piston, and manually operative means arranged to extend said extensible means to prolong the propelling eect of said spring. y

14. A device of the character described, comprising a cylinder and piston arranged to coact, a propelling spring, coperative screw members arranged to be moved axially by said spring to propel said piston, and manually operative means arranged t0 cause relative rotation of said screw members to prolong the propelling effect of said spring.

15. A device of the character described7 comprising a cylinder and piston arranged to coact, a propelling. spring,-coperative screw members arranged to be moved axially by said spring to propel said piston,manu ally operative .means arranged to4 cause relative lrotation of said screwinembers to prolong the propelling yeffect of said spring, said cylinder having a discharge opening, and means carried by said manually operative means,V and arranged to be moved by said propelling spring to Seal said discharge opening. n

16. A device of the characterdescribed, comprising a cylinder andpiston arranged to coact, piston-operating means arranged behindthe piston, sealing means arranged to coact with `said operating means to seal the cylinder behind the piston, 'said cylinder having` a discharger opening in front of the piston, and sealing means arranged to seal said discharge opening, said piston-operating means having provisionsifor exerting stress upon the twosaid sealing means in opposite directions to seal the cylinder.

17. A deviceof the character described, comprising a cylinder and piston arranged to coact, piston-operating means arranged behind the piston, sealing meansv arranged to coact with said operating means to seal the cylinder behind the piston, saidcylinder having a discharge opening in front of the piston, and sealing means arranged to seal said discharge opening, said two sealing means being arranged to coact with each other to seal the cylinder simultaneously behind and in front of the piston, both said sealing means being arranged to be moved to uiiseal the cylinder by piston-operating movement of said operating means.

18. A device of the character described, comprising a cylinder and piston arranged to coact, piston-operating means arranged behind the piston, sealing means arranged to coact with said operating means to seal the cylinder behind the piston, said cylinder having a discharge opening in front of the piston, and sealing means arranged to seal said discharge opening, said two sealing means being arranged to coact with each i other to seal the cylinder simultaneously behind and in front of the piston, one of said sealing means being arranged to be moved to unseal the cylinder by piston-operating movement of said operating means. Y

19. A device ofV the character described,

comprising a cylinder and piston arranged with said sealing means to seal thelcylinder simultaneously behind and in front of, the piston. n' f 1 `2O. A device of the` character described, comprising a cylinderrand piston arranged to coact, piston-operating means behind the piston, means arranged to coact with ysaid operating means to seal the cylinder behind the piston, said cylinder having a discharge opening in front of the piston, and sealing means arranged to seal said discharge opone ing, both said sealing means being arranged tohave sealing pressure imparted to them by said operatinggfmeanswhen the latter is adjusted to retract the piston.

relative rotation of's'aid screw members to Hexsaid spring. Vg p v 22,. `In reV extinguisher, the combination of a casing having a discharge nozzle, ajpiston shiftably mounted in said casingy for forcing they, contents outl through said nozzle, mechanism for shiftingsaid piston, a valve normally .urged to Aclosesaid nozzle, and means actuated by saidwmechanism for ife-y tracting said valve when said piston has been shifted toincreasethe ressure. on; the P Y contents in said casing above a certain pre determined amount.

The combination of a casing having a discharge orifice, a valve for said orifice, means normally urging said valve to a closed position, a member shiftably mounted in said casing and connected to said valve, and mechanism for creating pressure in said casing to coact with said member to open said valve and then discharge the contents of said casing.

24;. A device of the character described, includingV a container, adapted to hold a liquid and formed with an outlet, a piston movable in the container, a stem mounted to turn in the container and adapted toactuate the piston in either direction, the stem being movable longitudinally in the container, and there being a valve movable with the longitudinal movement of the stem to open or close the said outlet; a spring normallytending to move the stem to a position to seat said valve and of sufficient strength to effect such movement, means to turn the stem, means to press the spring during movement of the stem to unseat said valve, and a stop to limit the rearward movement of the stem after unseating the valve, the continued turning of the stem serving to actuate the piston.

za. In a lire extinguisher, the combination of a casing having a discharge nozzle, a pis- 'Y v ton shiftably mounted in said casing for forcing the contents out through said nozzle, a threaded member rotatably mounted in said casing and engaging said piston, mechanismextending to the outside of said casing and connected to rotate said member tor shifting said piston, a valve normally urged to close said nozzle, and means actuated by the movement of said member in said casing for retraeting said valve when said piston has been shifted to increase the pressure on the contents in said casing beyond a certain 'predetermined amount.

26. In a re extinguisher, the combination of a casing adapted to contain a liquid, an outlet from said casing at one end thereof, a threaded mechanism having means at one 'end thereof to normally close said outlet, a plunger in said cylinder threadedly engaging said mechanism, means located exteriyorly of said casing and connected to said mechanism for rotating the latter, and means at the end of said casing opposite said outlet to engage said plunger and thereby force said outlet-closing means into closing position.

27. In a fire extinguisher, the combination of a casing adapted to contain a liquid, an outlet from said casing at one end thereof, a threaded mechanism having means at one 'end thereof to normally close said Outlet, a

rplunger in -said cylinder threadedly engaging said mechanism, means located exteriorly of 'said casing and connected to said mechanism for rotating the latter, and resilient means at the end oi' said casing opposite said Outlet to engage said plunger and thereby force said outlet-closing means into closing position.

.232 The combination in 'a hand operated tire extinguisher, of a fluid containing tube, a piston reciprocable therein, a plurality of concentric inter-engaging screw members, one of said members being secured to the piston, and means for rotating one of the other members. 29. The combination in a hand operated iire extinguisher, ot a luid containing tube, Ya piston reciprocable therein, a plurality of telescoping inter-engaging screw members, one of said members being secured to the piston, means for rotating one of the other members, and means for preventing rotation ofthe piston relative to the tube.

In testimony whereof I have atiXed my signature, in presence of tivo Witnesses.

DANA ESTES.

Vitnesses IN. P. ABELL, I. W. Pnzzn'r'ri,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for i've cents bach, by addressing the "Gommissionar of Patente,

Washingtn, D. C. 

